


Sprits - When John Met Bellamy (Chapter One)

by Bananase221



Series: Murphy's Music [2]
Category: The 100 (TV), The 100 (TV) RPF, The 100 Series - Kass Morgan
Genre: AU, First Meetings, M/M, Meet-Cute, Mentioned Abuse, Modern AU, Music, referenced abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-21
Updated: 2019-05-21
Packaged: 2020-03-09 00:43:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18906022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bananase221/pseuds/Bananase221
Summary: Chapter One of Murphy's Music.When Spirits began to play over the radio at The Lake Party (as anyone who knows John Murphy has dubbed the day) in his second semester of freshman year, he felt like his soul had left his body and got up, quite uncharacteristically, and began to dance and sway his heart out amongst a group of drunken strangers, catching the eye of Dark and Handsome (aka Bellamy Blake, but Murphy didn't know that yet).





	Sprits - When John Met Bellamy (Chapter One)

**Author's Note:**

> Possible trigger warning and references/implications of Murphy being physically abused by his alcoholic mother twice in first half (first and third paragraphs) and some slight self hate and feelings of needing to heal throughout. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy! And I hope the grammar is okay, I was nervous so I decided to post it as is! I might go over and edit later on if you want me to :)
> 
> (Also, the song I use/is mentioned/referenced in the title is Spirits by The Strumbellas, and I would suggest listening to it while you read, but you obviously don't have to! :) )

Chapter One: Spirits – When John Met Bellamy

            Music had always been an important part of Murphy’s life. It had been there when his own mother wasn’t, and he honestly felt it made everything easier to bear – like for approximately three minutes he could wrap himself up in someone else’s lyrics and pain and just feel like another person. For three minutes. He soon began accepting that music would just be a part of him, and he embraced it, as hard as it was for him to do, considering embracing almost anything in his past had resulted in, in fact, more music to dull the pain.

So, when Spirits began to play over the radio at The Lake Party (as anyone who knows him has dubbed the day) in his second semester of freshman year, he felt like his soul had left his body and got up, quite uncharacteristically, and began to dance and sway his heart out amongst a group of drunken strangers in the burning orange light of the bonfire under a blanket of moon and stars, and with a background chorus of gently crashing waves, a cool beer bottle clutched gingerly between his fingers. It was then, of course, while he was accidentally showing too much of himself to the surrounding world and losing himself in the music, when his eyes met those of Bellamy Blake. Well, Murphy hadn’t known his name at the time, and had resolved himself to calling him Dark and Handsome in his mind.

Murphy looked back once or twice more when he had realized he was being watched by a certain stranger (ie Dark and Handsome), careful to hide his soul he was currently bearing as he danced, as much as he could, only to continuously meet the man’s gaze. He felt his eyebrows draw together into a frown on his forehead, mind whirring in confusion. He knew for a fact that Dark and Handsome was _way_ out of his league, all dark curls that looked soft and touchable, deep soulful eyes, adorable nose, and kissable lips… Speaking of kissable lips, Murphy watches the man watching him with an enthralled gaze lick his lips _ever so slightly_ and it makes him shiver _ever so slightly_ in longing, knowing that the handsome man is likely just teasing him, because, even if he was gay or bi or whatever, there’s no way Dark and Handsome would go for Pale and Scrawny, or Scarred and Scrawny, or Pale and Scarred – or any of the other combinations he could come up with to describe what little he felt he had to offer in the looks department to the hot stranger. He tugs his sleeve down ever so slightly to hide the bloom of pale scar tissue on the top of his forearm.

Murphy resolves himself in that moment to forget about the stranger and turn his back to him, determined to enjoy the music and bear himself to a world full of only people drunk off their asses that will never remember the fact that John Murphy had been _smiling_ of all things. Music does crazy things, he thinks. He takes another swig of beer whose taste he feels crawling back up his throat like the last place it wanted to end up is his stomach. And he agreed. He’d always hated the stuff, especially since his mom had always constantly smelled like a brewery. With the thought of his mother on his brain, the handsome stranger was easily pushed to the back of his mind as he threw himself back into the music, into another person’s feelings, and out of his own disturbed mind.

Murphy grabbed onto the nearest person and began to dance with them, eyes shut tightly and locking himself away in the deep thrums of music, feeling the soft sand squish up between his bare toes as he swayed in his partner’s arms, drawn tight with his back against a warm, sturdy chest, not sexual, but soft, like a gentle slow dance, and Murphy feels a smile curve his lips in an unfamiliar, comfortable, way. He opens his eyes then, just as the music begins to fade as the song draws to a close, and his eyes are immediately drawn to the beach chair where Dark and Handsome had been sitting across the bonfire from him. He feels a strange knot in his stomach as he realizes he was correct in assuming the stranger didn’t care as he was no longer there, and as his eyes did a quick scan of the party, there was no sign of the man. He lets out a sigh, leaning back against his dance partner, the song changing to something more techno and not quite something Murphy was overly interested in.

“Are you alright?” The deep silky voice of who Murphy assumes is the man behind him asks, close to his ear, and Murphy shivers a little at the sound of his voice and his proximity.

All he can think of though is the Dark and Handsome so Murphy lips twitch slightly upwards in gratitude before murmuring, “Fine. Long night,” and taking a step slightly away from the man, letting him know his touch is no longer as welcome as before. The man takes the hint and backs off, removing his arms from around Murphy, and he hears him taking a couple steps backward, his footsteps muffled in the cool sand and amongst the crashes of the waves. Murphy realizes then that they danced themselves away from the others and smiles slightly, the drunken laughter not as loud as it was earlier that night. He takes in a deep breath of salty air and feels relaxed, for once, even with a stranger near him. Murphy turns to address said stranger. “Thank you for the dance, I promise I’m not usually like that, I was just lost in my—” He cuts himself off as he finally tears his eyes awkwardly up from the sand and makes eye contact with Dark and Handsome.

“You were lost?” Dark and Handsome’s dreamy voice flows over him, a small smirk adorning his lips, and his cheeks were flushed a gentle pink. He looks slightly sheepish, hands in his pockets and his shoulders pushed forward.

“In my… mind. I’m sorry for just latching onto you like that. I’m sure you were trying to dance with someone else.” Murphy feels his ears go red and he fixes his gaze on the now disturbed sand by their feet and hugging himself uncertainly, feet shifting, knowing his entire face would soon be red as a tomato and it certainly wouldn’t be in the cute soft way that Dark and Handsome’s face was flushed. His face was about to go fire-engine red and splotchy which never looks good on anyone, and his knowledge of this was making his face grow redder faster.

“No, actually. I was, uh, making my way towards you… I saw you dancing earlier, and I just felt… I thought you looked…”

“In need of help?”

“Beautiful.”

“What?” Murphy’s eyes shot up to the Dark and Handsome’s gentle eyes that seemed to be gleaming with amusement. He knew his face was deep red now and Dark and Handsome’s face broke into a smile when he obviously caught sight of it. Murphy snaps out of it and takes a step back. “You’re obviously drunk. Or high. Or are messing with me. And I’m not into that, so I’m just gonna—”

“I’m not messing with you.” Dark and Handsome’s eyebrows draw together as his face darkens in concern and he takes a small step forward. “I’m not drunk. I don’t do drugs, so not high. I just… as creepy as this is probably going to sound, was watching you when you got up to dance, and you looked so carefree until you saw me watching you, and when you closed off I just… thought that if you wanted to… I could get to know you better… and that you could get to know me. I saw you looking back, after all.” Dark and Handsome shoots him a playful look at that, lips pressed together like he was trying, and failing, to stop himself from smiling, and his dark eyebrows were hitched upwards innocently above those glittering eyes that Murphy was quickly falling head-over-heels for.

“You… really want to get to know me better?” Murphy asks and everything feels so much farther away when Dark and Handsome nods his gorgeous curly head in affirmation. He feels his heart racing and he struggles with himself. He has a feeling that he could get hurt by this gorgeous man. He knows he’s not in the best place for a relationship. He knows this but… “I… was looking. At you. I think I’d like to get to know you better to.” He feels himself start to smile, hesitantly.

Dark and Handsome smiles brightly. “I’m Bellamy.”

Murphy quirks an eyebrow at the unique name as it causes his smile to grow ever so much bigger, and he ducks his head, hugging himself slightly, still feeling unsure and insecure, afraid that this was a joke. “John, but everybody calls me Murphy.”

“So, do I get a John or a Murphy?” Dark and Handsome – Bellamy – asks.

“Murphy. You haven’t earned John yet.” Murphy hesitantly teases the man in front of him, pleasantly surprised that he asked what he was allowed to call him. Usually people assumed he meant Murphy and that was that. Murphy was afraid of the warm feeling in his chest at the care this stranger was taking with him, and he knew that Bellamy would be different from all the others that he had dated so far, and knew that this man might be one of the only people in the world who could – maybe – see past the bad and to the good. And that scared the shit out of him.

Bellamy smiles brightly at being teased. “Would you want to go get a coffee with me tomorrow?” Bellamy asks, stepping slightly more forward and reaching slowly for Murphy’s hand. When Murphy doesn’t move away he trails a finger gently down his hand.

“As a date?” Murphy feels Bellamy’s hand hesitate as Murphy asks.

“As a date.” Bellamy nods, and when Murphy still doesn’t move his hand, he gently takes it in his. Murphy feels like his heart is about to explode and like he’s about to both have a panic attack and melt into a puddle at Bellamy’s feet. He knows he’s not good enough… He’s too damaged…

Murphy takes in a deep, shaky breath, and huffs out a soft laugh before responding with a jerky nod of his head, “…Yes.”


End file.
